Requested Recipe:

CABBAGE WINES

"I cannot begin to comprehend how you keep up with allyour mail, but if you could send me a recipe for cabbage wine, I'll believe you are a magician."Barry Manstead, Commonwealth of Virginia

CABBAGES

Cabbage wine is not the easiest wine to make. Alone, cabbage produces a thin wine that may disappoint you. I therefore am including three recipes that add vinosity in different ways. Take your pick.

Cabbage Wine (1)

3 lbs shredded cabbage

1/2 lb minced golden raisins

3 lbs sugar

7-1/2 pts water

1-1/2 tsp citric acid

1/8 tsp tannin

1 tsp yeast nutrient

Champagne wine yeast

Put water on to boil. Shred cabbage and place in primary. Mince raisins and add to primary. When water boils, add sugar and stir until dissolved. When water returns to boil, pour water over cabbage and raisins. Cover primary and allow to cool. Stir in all remaining ingredients, including activated yeast. When aerobic fermentation is strong, ferment 5 days, stirring twice daily. Strain into secondary and fit airlock. Rack after 30 days, top up and refit airlock. After additional 30 days, measure specific gravity. When 1.004 or lower, stabilize, wait 10 days and rack. Refit airlock and set aside 45 days. Rack into bottles and age 6 months. [Adapted from Leo Zanelli's Home Winemaking from A to Z]

Cabbage Wine (2)

2 lbs minced cabbage

1 lb cracked wheat, rice or barley

1/2 lb minced raisins (scalded)

3 oranges or lemons

2-1/4 lbs sugar

7 pts water

1/2 pt cold tea

1 tsp yeast nutrient

wine yeast

Soak grain in water overnight. Drain water into pot and bring to boil. Peel oranges or lemons thinly (no pith) and save peelings. Juice citrus fruit. Add raisins to water and return to boil. After 3 minutes boiling, strain raisins and combine with grain, citrus peelings and roughly chopped cabbage. Mince four ingredients together and place in primary. Add sugar and boiling water grain was soaked in and raisins were scalded in. Stir to dissolve sugar and add cold tea and yeast nutrient. Cover primary and allow to cool to room temperature. Add activated yeast, recover, and stir daily for 7 days. Strain liquor into secondary, fit airlock and rack after 30 days. Top up, refit airlock and ferment additional 60 days. Rack, stabilize, sweeten to taste, wait 10 days, and rack into bottles. Taste after 4-6 months. [Adapted from C.J.J. Berry's 130 New Winemaking Recipes]

Cabbage Wine (3)

3 lbs shredded cabbage

12-oz can white grape concentrate

2-1/4 lbs sugar

7-1/4 pts water

1-1/2 tsp citric acid

1/8 tsp tannin

1 tsp yeast nutrient

Champagne or Sauternes wine yeast

Put water on to boil. Shred cabbage thinly and place in nylon straining bag. Tie bag and place in primary. Dissolve sugar in water and bring to boil. Pour over cabbage, cover and allow to cool. Add remaining ingredients except yeast and stir well. Add activated yeast, cover and set aside. Punch down bag twice a day for 7 days. Drip drain bag and pour liquor into secondary. Fit airlock and rack every 30 days until wine clears and is dry. Rack, stabilize, sweeten if desired with sugar water (see button below), wait 10 days, and rack into bottles. Ready to drink after 6 months. [Author's own recipe]

My thanks to Barry Manstead of the Commonwealth of Virginia for the request.

This page was updated on November 10th,
1999

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